{"id":1004,"date":"2026-06-05T21:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T21:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/california-relocation-journal.com\/?p=1004"},"modified":"2026-06-05T21:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T21:00:14","slug":"pacifica-pier-cracks-another-coastal-casualty-as-seas-continue-to-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/california-relocation-journal.com\/?p=1004","title":{"rendered":"Pacifica pier cracks; another coastal casualty as seas continue to rise"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Pacifica Municipal Pier was shut down and taped off Thursday after city workers noticed cracks running through the landmark structure and concrete chunks falling into the ocean.<\/p>\n

Read more Shaw and Barrera advance to run-off for state schools superintendent<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s just one of many coastal California structures that have recently crumbled under pressure from a rising and relentless ocean.<\/p>\n

Officials from the small, beach city just south of San Francisco said the pier was closed due to \u201ccracking, separation, and displacement of the concrete walkway and structural elements.\u201d <\/p>\n

It will stay closed while structural engineers asses its safety.<\/p>\n

Photos taken by city employees show a wide crack that runs from top to bottom and spanning the structure across as well. Other photos show a large horizontal crack under the foundation of a small restaurant on the pier, the Chit Chat Cafe. <\/p>\n

The cafe was also shut down.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time the 53-year-old pier has shown signs of stress. In 2021, part of it was shut down after handrails along the edge collapsed. And in 2023, after a series of storms pummeled the Central California coast, damaging parts of the pier, the structure was partially closed for more than year. <\/p>\n

Those same storms caused extensive damage in Aptos and Capitola, 70 miles south, where piers and waterfront infrastructure were swept away or damaged.<\/p>\n

In 2024, a 150- to 180- foot section of the Santa Cruz wharf was ripped off by powerful waves.<\/p>\n

Read more Feds pursuing \u2018multiple\u2019 election fraud investigations, top prosecutor says<\/a><\/p>\n

At least 10 of the state\u2019s dozens of coastal public piers were closed for part or all of 2024 due to structural damage sustained in winter storms since 2022. At least five more have longer-term upgrades planned to address structural issues.<\/p>\n

A 2023 state law requires local governments along the California coast to plan for sea level rise in the coming decades.<\/p>\n

There was no storm in Pacifica earlier this week, so no singular event could be blamed for the destruction.<\/p>\n

However, a 2025 report from an outside engineering firm, GHD, found that several sections of the pier were in \u201cpoor\u201d or \u201cserious\u201d condition, and they recommended closure before anticipated storms or events that could \u201csubject the piles to high winds, swells and large waves.\u201d <\/p>\n

The firm found several areas of the pier where concrete was missing and rebar was exposed and corroding. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe pier has continued to experience high winds and large waves in a harsh marine environment,\u201d the engineers wrote in the report, noting that continuous exposure to seawater or marine spray was \u201cdetrimental\u201d to the structure. <\/p>\n

Read more Can California boost wildfire prevention with less cash? A new plan proposes to do just that<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Pacifica Municpal Pier was abruptly closed Thursday after city workers found cracks and missing concrete. It’s one more coastal landmark that has begun to crumble as the ocean slowly rises around it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1003,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate"],"yoast_head":"\nPacifica pier cracks; another coastal casualty as seas continue to rise - California Relocation Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/california-relocation-journal.com\/?p=1004\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pacifica pier cracks; another coastal casualty as seas continue to rise - California Relocation Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Pacifica Municpal Pier was abruptly closed Thursday after city workers found cracks and missing concrete. 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